The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-15
Gen. Peters.


Continuing his argument from where
he left of at the adjourning hour on
Saturday, ssid At the adjourning
hour on Saturday I had sal A all / de-
sired 10 say on the plea OF insanity,
and had nearly flushed my remarks
on the second plea OF the defendant,
that Ia, the plea ofself defense. shall
devote the remainder OF my remarks
10 theivery novel defense OF SANDER
being a Qualification for homicide.
There Is no deciaion, L lgllsh or Amer
lean, that justaes the taking OF human
life on any such grounds, | showed
you on Saturday that there was no law
10 justly even the most trifling assault
aud battery for words OF any sort, it
matters not how grievous, and so far
from sander OF ones family being a
Just fcation, the very act OF adultery
Itself only reduces the grade OF hotni-
tiSe 10 manelaughter where the hus.
band kills the adulterbr in thu act.
The case OF 80. Michigan, read to
you by Brother Lehman, was where q
brother KILLED the seduosr OF bis mar
ried sitter, aud was adjudged guilty OF
murder in the frat degree.
The Supreme Court OF Penueylva-
mia has decided that where q brother
killed his married sister in the act Of
adultery that he was guilty OF murder
in the first d z 20, and these are all
recent decisions and not old mossback
law spoken Of by the gentleman on
the other side. And these appeals
TO you to acquit the defendant by vir-
tue OF that great unwritten higher law
they speak OF is simply an appeal TO
violate your most sacred caths, to VIC
late your conscientious duty, to violate
public trust, to violate the unwrittsn
law OF the land, your duty to your.
selves, to eoc ETY. and TO your God.
But, gentlemen Of the jury, they
haven't even this much stand on.
II they had 1t in their power to pro-
duce mountains Of law TO justify them
in tneir claim that slauder is q justih.
cation for homicide, even then their
defense would fall to the ground.
The proposition / desire to speak to
you about, is tho claim OF these gem
item n that every SANDER about John
X. Godwin was SANDER shout Mrs
Polk, and al the lies that wers ever
told about the Goodwin family orii-
mated with Tom Dalton. The proof
does not bear them out. There have
been many thing, said that they could
not trace t. him, aud there were macy
things said by him that were not slau-
ders at all. We have no need OF
statute law for the protection OF vir
tuous woman. No man has higher
appreciation for woman than |. 1t IA
h women that have been taught
since infancy 10 look for happiness,
II is to her We look for the elevation
OF morals in society. To her we look
for the influences to promote good
government. To her we look for the
strei glhening power that prevents
man from falling into error 1t is her
hand that gnides mau's footsteps on
earth and points out the better lend
IN the great eteIn ty 10 which we are
all fastening. And no man bows
down btl)Te virtuous woman with
more worshipiul alteration than l, but
she must be vlrtuous, she mutt be
nobe she must be pure. Yea, in the
classic language oil the immor-
tal Shakespeare, she must be
"Ag chast e as the icicle
That's curded by frosts from purest snow
And hangs on dams OLE"
When she is turh, gentlemen, her
viriu Is a protection uat) itssii. M
mao dare spproach her, and Whenever
you talk about protecting vItue with
q shot un it Ia an insult % every pure,
viz uous woman, and putting vluus
on the same level with vice, 1t is 10
lated IN Irish history thst a young snd
beautiful virgin journeyed from city
10 ci alone, over the whole Island,
car yipg only a wand in her land aud
a gem on her finger and was unmo-
Tested, though young and beautiful,
and htr virtue her only prote, tioo,